Due to various nutrient and antioxidant profiles, consumption of fresh produce is generally accepted as essential to a healthy diet. Regular consumption of fruit is associated with reduced risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease (especially coronary heart disease), stroke, Alzheimer's disease, cataracts, and some of the general functional declines associated with aging. Diets that include a sufficient amount of fruits and vegetables also help reduce the chance of developing kidney stones and may help reduce the effects of bone loss. Fruits are also low in calories and are often integral to weight loss plans and generally healthy, balanced diets.
Most fruits and vegetables ripen after they are removed from their associated plants and stalks. Such ripening often changes the characteristics of the produce, including altering sweetness levels, texture, and firmness. Consumption of fruits and vegetables at the optimal point in the ripening process helps maximize not only taste and enjoyment of these foods, but may also maximize their health benefits.
Ripening is a natural process which is primarily a result of the production of ripening enzymes, many of which are triggered by the release of ethylene by the produce. Ethylene is a simple hydrocarbon gas produced when a fruit ripens, and is known to promote the upregulation of genes that cause the expression of enzymes that foster ripening. These enzymes may change the color of the skin as chlorophyll is degraded, aid in the production of new pigments, foster the breakdown of acids that make fruit taste sour, convert starches into sweet sugars, and soften pectin.
Maintaining most fruits and vegetables in a sufficiently cold state after harvest helps extend and ensure shelf life, most notably by reducing the release of ethylene. However, storage of produce in an isolated area without refrigeration causes a build up of ethylene and results in faster ripening (and rotting) of fruits and vegetables.
Ozone is a pungent, naturally-occurring gas possessing strong oxidizing properties, and has a long history of safe use in the disinfection of water sources. Ozone rapidly attacks bacterial cell walls and is generally thought to be a more effective anti-pathogenic agent against plant spores and mammalian parasites than chlorine. Ozone is reported to have 1.5 times the oxidizing potential of chlorine, yet contact times for this antimicrobial action are typically 4-5 times less than that of chlorine, all without the unwanted byproducts associated with chlorine. Ozone is also known to degrade ethylene.
Most households contain refrigerators, and most of these have crisper drawers. These drawers typically employ a slide mechanism to control the humidity within the drawer. Closing the slide (reducing the size of the opening from the drawer to the larger inner compartment of a refrigerator) raises the humidity within the crisper. Opening the slide (increasing the size of the opening from the drawer to the larger inner compartment of the refrigerator) decreases the humidity in the crisper. Controlled humidity keeps the vegetables from drying out, allowing them to retain their nutritional content, freshness and crispness for longer periods. They are typically positioned at the bottom of the refrigerator to take advantage of the coolest regions of air within the refrigerator.
There are a number of disadvantages associated with crisper drawers. First, these devices are set to a temperature that is fixed in relation to the temperature of the main refrigerator compartment. This is not always the ideal temperature for postponing post-harvest produce spoilage. Second, by enclosing produce in a substantially enclosed chamber, the levels of ethylene increase, thus promoting post-harvest produce spoilage. Accordingly, there is a need in the art of produce storage and crisper drawers for a robust chamber for use with fresh fruits and vegetables.